Green Wood Chairs

Posted on: 6th March, 2015

Since 1996 Alison Ospina has been making beautiful sculptural chairs from locally coppiced hazel at her workshop near Skibbereen. During the spring and summer months she teaches one day stool/small table courses + 3 days for making full sized armchairs.

If you are staying in “Cottages for Couples” accommodation you could be enjoying a 1 or 3 day chairmaking course at the Green Wood Chairs Studio, West Cork – only ten minutes’ drive away from the treehouses and cottages.

Alison Ospina has been teaching spring and summer courses since 1996, aimed at all levels of experience from seasoned woodworkers to those who have never sawed, sanded or hammered before! Alison is convinced “there is at least one chair in all of us!”

Courses run from 10am to 5pm – lunch, refreshments and all materials are included.

Alison’s book “Green Wood Chairs – chairs and chairmakers of Ireland” was published in 2009 and contains all the philosophy and instruction required for those wishing to embark on chair making. “I wrote the book hoping to inspire other people to have a go,” says Alison, “making chairs makes people smile.”

For those who would like to own a Green Wood Chair without actually making it themselves, Alison is happy to work to commission and usually has a range of chairs, stools and small tables for sale from the Green Wood Chairs Studio. From sheepskin footstools, rocking chairs with solid elm seats, to leather-seated fireside chairs, Alison creates a wide range of furniture including a diminutive ‘My Chair’ for children. All chairs are made from eco-friendly coppiced hazel cut from woodlands near Kealkil and Skibbereen – Green Wood Chairs – grown in West Cork!

After a full day of chair making, nothing beats heading back to a tree – house or cottage and jumping in the hot tub!

Courses run May–September but flexible and can be arranged at other times to suit visitors. Minimum 2 students per course, maximum 5 students.
Premises not generally open to public except for courses but visits welcome if arranged in advance by phone or email.

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